Haider told the television channel Geo News that he had been interviewed by British police, the border control agency and the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

"The border agency has taken my fingerprints and issued me a temporary stay," he said.

"I had no intentions of applying for political asylum at this stage and, if the Pakistan government is ready to give me assurance of security for me and my family, I am ready to return to Pakistan.

"I have no issues playing for Pakistan again provided the Pakistan Cricket Board wants me to play."

Earlier, Haider said he was retiring from international cricket and sought political asylum in Britain amid alleged threats from match fixers.

Haider left the Pakistan team in Dubai on Monday and flew to London after claiming he had been offered money to lose matches against South Africa, the latest twist in the fixing scandals rocking the team.

The 24-year-old Haider would not identify who threatened him or the nature of the threats that prompted him to flee the team hotel in Dubai and travel to England without telling anyone.

"I was approached by one person who asked me to fix the fourth and fifth match and there would be problem for me if I did not do it," Haider told Pakistan's Geo Television.

"One man threatened me but I felt there were two or three more men. I don't know who they were or who was the man who threatened me," he said. "That man said, 'Come into our circle and you will get a lot of money, but if you don't join us you will be in trouble."' Haider scored the winning run in Friday's one-wicket win in the fourth one-day international in Dubai. South Africa won the fifth and decisive ODI on Monday and clinched the series 3-2.

"There is threat to me and my family therefore I am leaving international cricket," Haider said.

He did not say who was involved in the match fixing and did not know the names of either the man who approached him or his backers.

"The country is like a mother and anyone who sells it cannot get anything in life," Haider said. "I did not want to sell my mother. I did not want to sell my country and I did what I thought was better." Following Friday's match, Haider asked a Pakistan Cricket Board official for his passport, pretending that he needed it to buy a mobile phone connection, and then left the hotel three days later to fly to London.

He said his decision to leave without telling team officials was to protect his safety.

"I was afraid if I spoke to them (team management) words could have gone out and I would have faced problems," he said.

Pakistan police beefed up security at Haider's house in Lahore "to avoid any untoward incident," according to senior police official Sahahzada Salim.

"I cannot say what kind of threats I have received as my family is still in Pakistan," Haider said. "In the kind of situation I am passing through I cannot trust anybody." International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat encouraged Haider to contact the game's authorities.

"We are sympathetic to any player who believes he is in this sort of position and of course we would help him or anyone who came forward," Lorgat said. "We certainly hope that he will shortly indicate a willingness to talk us." Haider arrived in London on Monday and, in an interview broadcast by Geo television on Tuesday, said he had applied for asylum.

Haider's older brother, Raza, said that Zulqarnain was asked by UK immigration authorities to appear with a lawyer. He said the family was sending Zulqarnain money he received for playing in Pakistan's tour of England earlier this year.

British Home Office spokesman Simon Barrett said immigration policy did not allow him to comment on individual cases.

Haider is staying at a hotel near Heathrow Airport while his case is being decided, his brother said.

He added that his younger brother said he could not perform to the best of his abilities under the circumstances and "could not get along with the team."

The alleged threats and match fixing are the latest setback for a Pakistan team that has been troubled by matters off the pitch.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Tuesday included uncapped wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez in their squad for the two Test matches against South Africa starting later this week.

"Adnan has been included in the Test squad as replacement for Haider and we have asked Hafeez to stay for the Tests after leg-spinner Danish Kaneria was not given clearance by the cricket board," team manager Intikhab Alam said.

The first of two Tests starts in Dubai from Friday. The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi from Nov. 20.

Adnan, 25, is the elder brother of Umar Akmal and younger brother to Kamran, who was not selected for the tour after undergoing an appendicitis operation.

Pakistan also suffered a setback when paceman Sohail Tanvee, named in the squad last month, failed to prove his fitness and was excluded from the Tests.

Pakistan will be led by Misbah-ul-Haq in the two Test matches.

Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdur Rehman, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz.